I know many of you have been waiting patiently for Microsoft's full Windows 8 tablet, the Surface Pro, and the company announced today that it will go on sale in the US and Canada on February 9. It shares the excellent design and build quality of the MS Surface RT, but this is full Windows running on an Intel Core i5 ULV CPU with HD 4000 graphics, making it powerful enough to be a primary computer. The price starts at $899 for the 64 gig model, which might sound expensive compared to an iPad or Android tablet, but remember this guy has the power and capabilities of an Ultrabook.

The tablet has a 10.6" touch screen running at full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution and it comes with a digital pen and active digitizer (looks like Wacom to us). It shares the same design as the Surface RT with the rear kickstand and VaporMg casing but weighs 2.0 lbs. vs. 1.5 for RT. The tablet has 4 gigs of DDR3 RAM and will be available with 64 and 128 gigs of storage. It has a USB 3.0 port and a mini DisplayPort. It works with the same Touch Cover and Type Cover as the Surface RT. The Pro can run x86 Windows 7 apps, unlike Surface RT.

Microsoft also announced three designer Limited Edition Touch Covers with attractive patterns on the back. These will sell for $129.99 apiece.

Happily, Microsoft has decided to start offering the 64 gig Surface RT without the bundled black Touch Cover for those who want the added storage but would rather pick up a jazzy colorful cover or the more tactile Type Cover instead. The 64 gig Surface RT sans keyboard will sell for $599.

In addition, Microsoft announced the new Wedge Touch Mouse with four-way touch scrolling and easy navigation at one’s fingertips. It also has a similar finish to Surface’s VaporMg casing and will go on sale on Feb. 9 for $70.